Autumn Term 1

The Sociological Approach 

Students will learn:

• key sociological terms and concepts concerned with social structures, social processes and social issues and the explanation of social phenomena including: society, socialisation, norms, values, roles, labelling, discrimination, power and authority.
• Debates within sociology including conflict versus consensus the contextualised work (a sense of time and place) of key classical sociologists Durkheim, Marx and Weber referencing both their view of the world and their contribution to the development of the discipline.
• Sociological perspectives on social structures, social processes and social issues, including those informed by: feminism, functionalism, interactionism and Marxism and key arguments (identified through reading and responding to extracts from key sociological texts)

Assessment:

Introduction to Sociology assessment of key concepts and theory.

Autumn Term 2

Research Methods 

Students will learn:

• How to use sociological research methods as outlined in the topics and how they apply in the specified contexts ie families, education, crime and deviance, social stratification.
• Identify, describe and explain various methods and methodological issues
• identify and explain the advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses of a particular method for a specific area of research
• Demonstrate an understanding of the process of research design for a specific area of research, including practical difficulties and ethical issues
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relevance and usefulness of various primary and secondary sources for a specific area of research
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret data presented in a variety of forms.

Assessment:

 On research methods

Spring Term 1 

Families and Households 

Students will learn:

The functions of the family.

• Identify, describe and explain the functions of families (sexual, reproductive, economic and educational)

• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on the functions of families (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).

Family forms

• Students should be able to identify, describe and explain various family forms (nuclear, extended, reconstituted, lone parent, single sex).

Conjugal role relationships

• Identify, describe and explain joint and segregated conjugal roles
• Describe and explain the domestic division of labour in both traditional and contemporary families
• Demonstrate their understanding of issues that impact on conjugal role relationships within the contemporary family including decision making, money management, dual career families, child rearing and leisure activities
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on conjugal role relationships (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).  Mid-topic assessment

Changing relationships within families

• Identify, describe and explain how relationships within families have changed over time (pre- industrial, industrial and contemporary/modern)
• Identify, describe and explain contemporary family related issues, the quality of parenting, the relationships between teenagers and adults, care of the disabled/elderly and arranged marriage
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on changing relationships within families (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Willmott and Young

Criticisms of families

• Identify, describe and explain different criticisms of families
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues (functionalist, feminist and Marxist) Key studies

Spring Term 2

Families and Households 

Students will learn:

Divorce

• Identify, describe and explain the pattern of divorce in Britain since 1945 using relevant statistical data
• Explain reasons for the rise in divorce since 1945 including: changes in the law, changes in social attitudes and values, secularisation, changes in the status of women in society
• Describe the consequences of divorce for family members (husband and wife, children and extended family) and the increase in the numbers of lone parent families
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).

Assessment:

• Students to undertake small-scale research projects in order to develop their understanding of the practical difficulties faced by the sociologists working in the field- this will be completed in the family unit.

Education

Roles and functions of education

• identify, describe and explain the  functions of education including serving  the needs of the economy, facilitating  social mobility and fostering social cohesion
• Identify and describe a variety of different types of schools.
• Describe alternative forms of educational provision including home  schooling and de- schooling
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Durkheim and Parsons

The relationship between education and capitalism

• Describe the key ideas of Bowles and Gintis on education and capitalism
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of alternative sociological perspectives on the correspondence principle.

Summer Term 1

Education

Students will learn:

Educational achievement

• Identify, describe and explain various factors affecting educational achievement including class, gender and ethnicity
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Halsey on class-based inequalities
• Describe the key ideas of Ball on parental choice and competition between schools

Summer Term 2

Education 

Processes within schools

• Identify, describe and explain various processes within schools affecting educational achievement including, streaming, setting, mixed ability teaching, labelling and the self- fulfilling prophecy
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues
• Describe the key ideas of Ball on teacher expectations
• Describe the key ideas of Willis on the creation of counter school cultures.

Revision/ Exam prep

End of year exam

Autumn Term 1

Crime and Deviance 

Students will learn:

The social construction of crime and deviance

• Identify,describe and explain various sociological explanations of crime and deviance including anomie, labelling, structural theories, subcultural theories and interactionist theory
• Explain the social construction of concepts of crime and deviance

Social control

• Identify, describe and explain formal and informal methods of social control including unwritten rules and sanctions
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on social control (interactionist, functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Heidensohn on female conformity.

Data on crime

• Identify and describe the main sources of data on crime
• Describe the pattern and trends in crime figures using relevant statistical data
• Explain the ‘dark figure’ of crime (unreported and unrecorded crime)

Theories of crime

• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on crime and deviance (interactionist, functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on the use of data on crime (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).

Autumn Term 2

Mid-Topic assessment 

Criminal and deviant behavior.

• Identify, describe and explain factors affecting criminal and deviant behaviour including social class, gender, ethnicity and age
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on factors affecting criminal and deviant behaviour (interactionist, functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Albert Cohen on delinquent subcultures
• Describe the key ideas of Carlen on women, crime and poverty.

Crime and Media

• Identify and describe various public debates over criminal and deviant behaviour including concerns over violent crime, sentencing, the treatment of young offenders, the prison system and media coverage of crime

Sentencing and Punishment/Youth crime

• Sentencing, the treatment of young offenders, the prison system

Spring Term 1

Social Stratification 

Students will learn:

Functionalist theory of stratification

• Describe and explain the functionalist theory of stratification (effective role allocation and performance linked to the promise of rewards)
• Describe the key ideas of Davis and Moore 
• Describe, compare and contrast alternative perspectives on functionalist theory (feminist and Marxist).

Socio-economic class

• Identify, describe and explain socio-economic class divisions in society
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on socio-economic class (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Marx on socio-economic class
• Describe the key ideas of Weber on socio-economic class.

Life chances

• Identify, describe and explain factors affecting life chances including social class, gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality, age, disability, religion and belief
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on life chances (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Devine on the idea of the affluent worker.

Spring Term 2

Poverty as a Social Issue

• Identify, describe and explain different interpretations of poverty as a social issue including, the culture of poverty, material deprivation, the way in which governments have attempted to alleviate poverty and unemployment.
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on poverty (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Townsend  on relative deprivation
• Describe the key ideas of Murray on the underclass including links to New Right theories.  Globalisation

• Describe the impact of globalisation

Power and authority

• Identify, describe and explain different forms of power and authority including traditional, charismatic, rational-legal, formal and informal sources of power

Political Power and  the Welfare state

• Forms of government and Politics
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on power and authority
• Describe the key ideas of Weber on power and authority

Summer Term 1

Power Relationships 

• Identify, describe and explain different factors affecting power relationships including social class, gender, sexuality, race, age, disability, religion and beliefs
• Describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on power relationships (functionalist, feminist and Marxist)
• Describe the key ideas of Walby on patriarchy.

Summer Term 2

What's assessed

• The sociology of families

• The sociology of education

• Relevant areas of social theory and methodology

Students will be expected to draw on knowledge and understanding of the entire course of study to show a deeper understanding of these topics.

How it's assessed

• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

• 100 marks

• 50% of GCSE

Questions

• Section A has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.

• Section B has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.

What's assessed

• The sociology of crime and deviance

• The sociology of social stratification

• Relevant areas of social theory and methodology

Students will be expected to draw on knowledge and understanding of the entire course of study to show a deeper understanding of these topics.

How it's assessed

• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

• 100 marks

• 50% of GCSE

Questions

• Section A has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.